


Do you have a piano?

by rdspring



Category: Bright Young Things, Vile Bodies - Evelyn Waugh
Genre: Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, M/M, miles finally gets a piano, soft, two dumb gays who are in love that's it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 20:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20123614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rdspring/pseuds/rdspring
Summary: Miles and Ginger arrive at home after spending all night at a party. To Miles surprise, his dear friend owns a piano.





	Do you have a piano?

It was 2 a.m. when the couple arrived at Ginger’s place. They had been on a party next door for the entire night and had decided to leave the french youth with their boring games. They remembered all the crazy parties they had attended while they lived in England, the Bright Young Things really knew how to make the elderly scream over the newspapers’ headlines. Ginger opened the door and entered before Miles, holding it for him. 

“Who knew you would be so chivalrous, darling” Miles smiled as he took off his hat, entering the house.

The only response he received was the sound of a door closing behind him and Ginger’s hands on his shoulders, helping him taking off his coat. 

“They say you never get to fully know anyone” replied Ginger as he carefully placed Miles’ coat and his own on the hanger. 

Miles stood in the middle of the small hall, gazing at every detail of the room. It was the first time Miles had ever visited Ginger’s house, even though they had met five months ago in a party. Since then they had been seeing each other and spending time together almost everyday. They catched up on how each one of them had ended up in Paris and just enjoyed the company of some sort of “old friend”. Miles liked him. Miles liked him a lot. Miles liked how Ginger hummed made up songs while he made tea for the two of them, Miles liked how Ginger sometimes unconsciously grabbed his arm while they where walking though Tuileries Garden, Miles liked the little smirk which appeared on Ginger’s face every time Miles called him “darling”. Even though Miles would never admit it, he loved Ginger, deeply. He had found everything he was looking for in him. He had found acceptance, he had found love, he had found a friend, he had found understanding, he, at last, had found hope. 

“Do you like it?” said Ginger, standing behind Miles

“Yes. Yes, I do like it. You really have an eye for interior design” 

The place was simple but comfortable. It had the necessities a house requires and some unnecessary but fancy decorations. Miles turned to face Ginger. 

“ So… what should we do? I don’t really want to go to bed yet” 

Ginger’s eyes explored Miles’ body, from his polished shoes to the last curl on his head, he couldn’t hide a tender smile.

“Fancy a glass of wine, Mr. Maitland?” he said jokingly, walking past Miles and entering the next room, as he knew he would get an affirmative answer from him.

Miles tuned around as Ginger walked past him with a childish smile, the one you get from a kid who just got his favorite candy. He was captured by him, by the way he said his name, by the way he looked at him, he was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him. He had never felt like this before. He didn’t just want to go to bed with him, he had no rush to have sex with him, he just wanted to be near him and experience all the small steps that lead to a romantic relationship. He wanted to eventually be able to hold his hand, to have an innocent first kiss, to have breakfast together, to enjoy walking though Paris with him; they were in the city of love, after all.  
Miles followed Ginger to what seemed a big living room. When he first entered, Miles noted how the room was rather empty: it had one large bookshelf that covered the entirety of the left wall, in front of it there was a red couch sitting on a big carpet, alone in the middle of the room, which was illuminated by the big window on the wall. Next to it there was a little table with multiple bottles of different kinds of alcohol where Ginger was pouring wine into two glasses. Miles gaze wandered around the room until it spotted a piano on on the right side of it. 

“Do you have a piano? How elegant.” said Miles as he walked up to Ginger. 

Ginger turned around and looked at the instrument as if it was the first time he had seen it. “Oh, yes. The previous owners of the house didn’t want to take it so I agreed to keep it. I do not know how to play, though” he paused and looked at Miles, offering him his glass “ Wait, do you play?” 

“Actually, I do, darling. I’m a man of many talents” he responded, as he took a sip of wine. “Maybe it is true that you never get to fully know anyone” 

Ginger smiled. “Now that I have that information, I can’t let you get out of here until you play something for me. Imagine my grandchildren’s faces when I tell them I was once in a room with the great pianist Miles Maitland, with a piano at hand, and I didn’t even get a single note!” he started to gesture dramatically.

“I don’t know if now it’s the best time, what will you neighbors say?” 

“This is the perfect time Miles. Every second I’m with you is the perfect time.” he paused as he recalled what he had just said “I mean…”

“It will be my pleasure to play for you, darling” Miles interrupted him, trying to simulate like his heart hadn’t started racing at worrying rates. 

Ginger smiled as he made a mid-reverence to invite Miles to play. Miles started walking to the instrument while Ginger moved the couch so it would face the piano. Miles sat on the stool in from of it an left the glass over the instrument as Ginger sat on the couch, legs crossed, with the glass of wine on his left hand. 

“What do you want me to play?” Miles said, tuning his head to look at Ginger. 

“Whatever you want to play. You’re my guest after all. Plus, I have no idea about music really” 

This was his opportunity, Miles could tell Ginger everything he felt without him noticing it. He took a deep breath and rested his fingers on the keys. 

“Miles, you’re a star, you can do it” he thought to himself.

His fingers started moving lightly across the keys, pressing them as little butterflies, elegant and neat, but also expressive and with his own self immersed in the piece. Ginger smiled as he heard the first notes of the Op.37 N.1 of Chopin’s Nocturnes. He knew that one. It was one of the few he knew. He also knew how Chopin composed it for his lover. He noticed how well Miles played, how his body slightly moved along with the rhythm, how his fingers almost caressed the keys with grace, with passion. He noticed Miles felt what he was playing, he felt how he moved his head up and down when the tempo was a little bit faster. He noticed everything only by looking at his back. Miles had magic in his playing.

“No” he corrected his thoughts “He has magic in himself” 

Miles didn’t want to know Gingers expression or reaction, not yet. He first wanted to tell him everything. He played his heart out, he played like he was really facing him, saying all those things he had kept inside for so long, he was almost composing a new piece, finding a new meaning to it, making it theirs. He was so focused on his playing he didn’t notice the sound of steps behind him, he didn’t notice the wood creek under Ginger’s shoes. Miles felt how a body placed itself next to him on the piano stool but he didn’t stop playing, he wasn’t prepared to face rejection. Not again. Not from Ginger. Miles felt Ginger’s hand tenderly moving some of his curls away from his, now sweaty, forehead.

“You… you play really well, Miles. It’s marvelous.” 

Miles efficiently improvised a coda to the end of the piece, he couldn’t focus. Not when he had Ginger so close to him. 

“Do you really think so?” he said with disbelief 

“Of course I do. I haven’t seen many pianists playing, but you’re the best without a doubt”

After that, both of them remained silent. Neither of them knew what to say. Maybe they didn’t need words. 

“I’m so glad I found you” Ginger finally broke the silence.

Miles looked at Ginger, hope and adoration in his gaze. 

“Miles-“ 

“Please, let me speak first.” Miles interrupted, trying to appear relaxed and confident “I… this may surprise you and… and I know you’re not really er- into this kind of things and I totally understand if- if you want to kick me out of here and never see me again but I… I think I- no, I know… “

He couldn’t finish his speech as he felt Ginger’s lips on his, kissing him softly, slowly, like no one had ever kissed him before. Miles only remembered kisses driven by lust, senseless kisses with the sole purpose of emotionless pleasure, this was his first kiss full of love, full of adoration. They were dancing to the same rhythm. Miles’ hands traveled from the piano keys to Ginger’s shirt, grabbing it and pulling him closer as Ginger’s fingers got lost in Miles’ curls. They separated after a few seconds, in need of air. They both stayed there, millimeters apart, looking at each other. 

“Did… um… did I ever tell you I missed your curls? Even back in England, I always liked it more curled, and I think you did too” Ginger whispered.

Miles remained silent, a little bit surprised by what Ginger had said. 

“I know I look better in curls, darling. Well, if I’m honest, I look great in everything. You should see me naked...” he whispered back, looking at Gingers lips.

“Don’t do that. You don’t want to wake up the beast, “darling”” Ginger replied, mocking Miles’ tag.

“Aren’t you a bad boy!” he said, trying to hide his smile.

“And you haven’t seen anything yet” 

They were silent for a few seconds.

“ I love you, beast” finally said Miles playfully.

Ginger’s laid eyes on him directly again, he couldn’t help but smile.

“I love you too”

“I know, darling, like it is difficult to love this-“ he said trying to appear confident again.

“Oh, shut up” interrupted Ginger, kissing Miles again.


End file.
